Difficult intubation in a patient with Goldenhar's syndrome: a potential hazard of the use of the laryngeal mask airway [LMA]

A patient with Goldenhar's syndrome presented for elective oculoplastic surgery. After multiple failed attempts at tracheal intubation, a laryngeal mask airway [LMA] was inserted. The patient's respiration was controlled throughout the procedure. At the end of surgery a large blood clot from the traumatised larynx was found lodged behind the grille and inside the vestibule of the laryngeal mask airway. This report is presented to illustrate a potential problem in the use of the laryngeal mask airway following failed endotracheal intubation